Mail-crane.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1903.

A. P. BOWER.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

NlTED STATES ALMOND P. BOWER, OF PLEASANTI-IILL, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PALMEDUS D. ROBERTS AND JAMES ROBERTS, OF MARTINSBURG, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-=CRAN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,209 dated April 14, 1903.. Application filed September 3, 1902. Serial No. 121,980. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: provide a limited play or movement of the Be it known that 1, ALMOND P. BOWER, a bar or member to permit the latter to be citizen of the United States, residing at Pleas cushioned to take up the shock and jar incianthill, in the county of Pike and State of dent to catchinga bag or sack. The hinging 5 Illinois, have invented a new and useful Mailof the bar or member to the top of the post or Crane, of which the following is a specificauprightadmits of the crane being arranged for tion. catching a bag orvsack from a train approach- The invention relates to improvements in ing in either direction. The outer portion or mail-cranes. arm 7 of the bar or member 5 constitutes one IO The object of the present invention is to of thejaws of the device, and it cooperates improve the construction of devices for catchwith a hinged or pivoted arm or jaw 8, which ing and holding mail bags and sacks and to is spring-actuated, as hereinafter explained, providea simple and comparatively inexpenand which is adapted to be set in its open sive mail-crane of great strength and duraposition, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the draw I5 bility designed to be arranged at one side of ings,and to be tripped by a sack or ba a track and adapted to be adjusted for a train The inner arm or portion 9 of the bar or memapproaching it in either direction and capaher 5 is hollow and constitutes a casing or ble of supporting a sack'in position for enhousing for a coiled spring 10, which is conabling it to be caught bya train and of catchnected by links 11 with the inner end of the 20 ing a sack or bag from the train, whereby the arm or jaw 8, and the latter is provided at injury and inconvenience resulting from the said innerend, which is slightlybent to throwing sacks and bagsfrom a train to the form an elbow, with a perforation for the reground are prevented. ception of a pivot or pintle 12,which is mount- The invention consists in the construction ed in suitable perforations of the sides of the 25 and novel combination and arrangement of hollowarm orcasing9,attheinnerendthereof.

parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated The links which connect the inner end of the in the accompanying drawings, and pointed coiled spring with the inner end of the pivotout in the claims hereto appended. ed arm or jaw 8 permit the latter to be swung In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, outward to the position illustrated in Fig. 1,

3o partlyinsection,ofamail-craneconstructed in and they are adapted to lie between the inaccordance with this invention and arranged ner end of the arm and the adjacent portion for catching a bag or sack. Fig. 2 is a detail of the casing or housing without biinding vertical sectional viewof the same. Fig. 3 against either part, so that they will not inis a detail sectional View on the line 3 3 of terfere with the operation of the crane. The

35 Fig. 1. outer'end of the coiled spring is connected Like numerals of reference designate corwith an'eyebolt 13, which is provided with a responding parts in all the figures of the nut and which passes through the outer end drawings. of the hollow portion or casing 9. The eye- 1 designatesa post or upright, having its upbolt provides an adjustment for enabling the 40 per end slightly reduced for the reception of a tension of the spring to be regulated. The

metallic cap 2, which is provided withia sehinged arm or jaw is provided at its inner 9o ries of ears 3 for the reception of a pintle 4 end with a notch 14, formingashoulder which for hinging a bar or member to the top of the is arranged to be engaged by a spring-actupost or upright. The bar or member 5 is ated dog or pawl15, pivoted between its ends 45 provided between its ends with a series of bya pin 16 or other suitable fastening device perforated ears 6, which register with the to the bar or member 5 and located adjacent cars of the cap of the post or upright, and in to the pivoted end'ofthe armor jaw 8. The practice the perforations or apertures of the pawl or dog 15 is engaged by a spring 17, se-

- cars will be slightly larger than the pintle to cured at one endto the bar or member 5 at the jaw 7 and having its free end bearing against the pawl or dog, whereby the latter is held against the inner end or heel of the pivoted jaw or arm 8. When the pivotedjaw or arm Sis swung around to a position approximately at right angles to the bar or member 5, the shoulder of the inner end of the said arm or jaw 8 is carried outward beyond the pawl or dog, which snaps into the recess or notch 14 and engages the shoulder thereof. The pivoted arm or jaw will be held in its open position until tripped by the means hereinafter described.

The engaging portion or arm 7 of the bar or member 5 is provided at its opposite faces with exterior longitudinal grooves 18 for the reception of interior longitudinal ribs 19 of a movable section 20, which forms a cap for the arm or jaw 7 and which constitutes the engaging portion of the same. The outer engaging face of the section 20 is provided with a cushion 21, and the jaw or arm 8 is provided with a similar cushion 22, the said cushions being preferably formed by upholstering the parts, as shown; but any other form of cushion may be employed for preventing the device from injuring a sack or bag. The longitudinal grooves 18 are of sufiicient width to permit the ribs to have a limited lateral movement, and the depressible section 20 is normally held in its extended position by means of a pair of springs 23, mounted in the grooves 18 and interposed between the rear side walls thereof and the ribs. The springs 23 are bowed and are adapted to be com pressed when a bag comes in contact with the section 20. The bar or member 5 is also provided at its arm 7 with an intermediate groove or recess 24, in which is loosely arranged a bowed trip bar or lever 25, pivoted at its outer end and having its inner end arranged contiguous to the spring-engaged end of the pawl or dog 15. The trip-lever is arranged to be forced inward by the movable yieldingly-mounted section 20 of the arm or jaw 7, and when a bag or sack comes in contact with the said section 20 the pawl or dog will be thrown out of engagement with the inner end of the arm or jaw 8 and the latter will be closed by the spring,

whereby the bag will be firmly gripped in the crane. The movable arm or jaw 8 is provided at its outer end with a resilient catch 26, having a head at its outer end and adapted to engage a series of teeth 27, located at the outer end of the arm or jaw 7, wherebycasing of the bar or member 5 is arranged within the semicircular frame 29 and is adapted to be connected with the opposite sides thereof by a coiled cushioning-spring 31', adapted to take up the jar andv prevent injury to the crane when a bag or sack strikes the same. The semicircular frame is provided at opposite sides with outwardly-extending arms 32 and 33, having hooks at their outer ends for the reception of the spring 31, and the said frame 29 is of sufficient size to permit the hinged bar or member 5 to swing from one side of the post or upright to the other, and the spring 31 is detachably secured to the frame to enable it to be disconnected when it is desired to reverse the frame. The limited movement of the bar or member 5 on the pivot or pintle of the post or upright will permit the cushioning action of the spring 3 1, and injury to the parts of the frame will thereby be prevented.

The inner hollow portion of the arm or bar 5 is provided at the outer side wall with a movable plate or section 33, hinged at 34 to the adjacent portion of the said outer wall and having its free end arranged to engage the hinged arm or jaw Sand provided with a recess or cut-away portion 34 for the reception of the same when the arm or jaw 8 is closed. The hinged plate or portion 33 is held in its closed position by a spring 35 and is adapted to protect the housing or casing of the bar or member 5 from the weather, and it is capable of opening automatically or of being swung open by the hinged arm or jaw when the latter is open. The spring 35, which may be of any desired construction, consists of a U-shaped loop and a spring-coil, the sides of the loop being bent, as shown, but any other form of spring may be employed, if desired. The movable jaw or arm is provided with a suitable grip or handle 36 for enabling it to be readily opened, and when it is swung open the elbow or bend of the arm will engage the outer end of the hinged portion of the wall of the casing or housing, which outer end is beveled, as shown in Fig. 1, to permit the hinged plate or portion 33 to be readily opened.

The approximately semicircular frame is provided at its top with a pair of cars 37, between which is pivoted, by a bolt 38 or other suitable fastening device, a lever 39, designed to be located a sufficient distance above the hinged bar or member 5 to enable a bag to be supported in position to be engaged by a device carried by a train without such device coming in contact with the mail-crane. The lever 39 is provided at its outer end with a hook for supporting a sack, and its other end is provided with a counterbalancing-weight 40, which is adapted to be adjusted and which may be employed for swinging the lever to an upright position for arranging it out of the way.

It will be seen that the mail-crane is siming a support, a hinged member mounted on ple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily arranged for catching a bag or sack from a train approaching it from eitherdirection, and that the inconvenience and injury resulting from throwing mail bags and sacks from a train to the ground will be prevented.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, such as providing any suitable means for securing the depressible yieldingly-mounted section on the bar or member. The yieldably-mounted section is adapted to be drawn outward off the hinged bar or member and a hook and eye may be conveniently employed for securing it in place. When the yieldably-mounted section is removed, it will atford access to the trip bar or lever and the spring-actuated pawl or dog.

"What I claim is- I 1. A device of the class described comprising a support designed to be arranged adjacent to a track, a reversible bar or member movably connected with the support and arranged to swing vertically from one side to the other of the same to permit it to be arranged for cars traveling in either direction and an automatically-closing jaw mounted on and carried by the bar or member, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a support, a reversible bar or member hinged to the top of the support and arranged to swing from one side to the other of the same to arrange it for cars traveling in either direction, an automatically-closing jaw carried by the hinged member, and means for setting and tripping the automatically-closing jaw, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a support, a hinged member having a jaw and mounted on the support and arranged to swing to opposite sides of the same, an automatically-closing jaw carried by the hinged member, and a reversible cushioning device connected with the hinged member, substantially as described.

.4. A device of the class described comprising a support, a hinged member mounted on the support and arranged to swing at opposite sides thereof, an automatically-closing jaw carried by the hinged member, means for setting and tripping the jaw, a locking device for confining the jaw in its closed position, and a reversible cushioning device connected with the hinged bar or member, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described compristhe support and arranged to swing to either side of the same, a frame receiving the hinged member, ajaw carried by the hinged member, a spring connected with the said hinged memher, and means mounted on the frame at opposite sides thereof for detachably holding the spring, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a support, a hinged member mounted thereon and provided with a jaw and arranged to swing to either side of the support, an open frame mounted on the support and receiving the hinged member and provided at opposite sides with arms, a weighted lever fulcrumed on the open frame and adapted to support a bag, and a spring connected with the hinged member and adapted to be secured to either of the arms, substantially as described.

7. A device of the class described comprising two jaws or bars, means for setting, tripping and closing the jaws, and a locking device carried by one jaw for engaging the other to lock the jaws in engagement with a mail-bag, substantiallyas described.

8. A device of the class described comprising a bar or membelgan automatically-closing jaw. pivoted to the bar or member, a dog pivoted betweenits ends and having one end engaging the jaw, a spring engaging the other end of the dog, and a movable tripping device arranged to be engaged by a sack or bag, substantially as described.

9. A device of the class described comprising a bar or member, a pivoted jaw, a dog arranged to engage the jaw, a spring for holding the dog in engagement with the jaw, a trip-lever arranged to engage the dog, and a movable section mounted on the bar or member and arranged to be engaged by a bag or sack for actuating the trip lever, substantially as described.

10. A device of the class described comprising a bar or member, a pivoted jaw, a spring housed within the bar or member and connected with the jaw, a spring-actuated dog for holding the jaw in its open position, and a depressible tripping device arranged to be engaged by a bag, substantially as described.

11. A device of the class described comprising a bar or member provided with grooves, a depressible section arranged on the bar or member and having ribs operating in the grooves, springs located in the grooves and engaging the ribs, a jaw, a dog for holding the jaw in its open position, and a trip-lever arranged to be engaged by the movable section and adapted to throw the dog out of engagement with the jaw, substantially as described.

12. A device of the class described comprising a bar or member having a hollow portion forming a housing, a jaw pivotally connected with the bar or member adjacent to the housing, a spring located within the housing and connected with the jaw, and means for setting and tripping the jaw, substantially as described.

13. A device of the class described comprising a bar or member having a hollow portion forming a housing, a jaw pivotally connected with the bar adjacent to the housing, a spring I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as located Within the housing for actuating the my own I have hereto affixed my signature in jaw, means for setting and tripping the jaw, the presence of two Witnesses.

and a hinged spring-actuated plate or section ALMOND P. BOWER. forming a portion of the wall of the housing Witnesses:

and arranged to be opened by the jaw, snb- EDWIN JOHNSTON,

stantially as described. I G. WV. MAIN. 

